How to write contacts in the phone Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Keeping contacts on Xiaomi smartphones only seems like a simple task – in practice, users face the nuances of synchronization, duplication of records or sudden loss of numbers after a reset. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to add contacts on devices with a MIUI shell (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark), and explain how to avoid typical errors when transferring data between accounts.

We will pay special attention to the differences between the SIM-map, Google account and local phone memory — each option has its own pros and pitfalls. SIM Limited to 200 records and no photos, and linking to a Mi Account can cause problems when changing region, and you will learn how to automatically reserve numbers and restore them after buying a new smartphone.

1. Save contacts through the standard “Contacts” application

The basic way to add numbers is to use the built-in Contacts app (an icon with a human silhouette on a green background) which is suitable for all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13T. The main advantage is that the numbers can be immediately linked to a Google account, Mi Account or saved locally on the device.

To add a new contact:

• 📱 Open the Contacts app (or click on the phone handset icon in the bottom menu and go to the Contacts tab).
• ➕ Press the button. + Add in lower right corner.
• 📝 Fill in the fields: Name, Phone (specify the country code, for example, +7 for Russia), if necessary, add an email, birthday or address.
• 💾 In the Save to Select Storage field: Google Account - synced to the cloud, available on all devices with your Gmail. Device - stored only in the phone's memory (risk of loss when resetting). SIM-Map – limit on the number of characters in the name (maximum 15-20 characters). Mi Account – synchronizes with Xiaomi servers, but may not appear on devices of other brands.
• ✅ Click Ready or Save.

Selected the right account for synchronization|Country code is correct (e.g, +7 for Russia)|Name written without typos.|No duplicate contacts-->

If you add numbers often, we recommend using quick save directly from the call log: open the Log tab, click on the number → Save. So you save time, but make sure the Save field is filled in correctly -- default. MIUI may offer to maintain the SIM-map.

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To avoid duplicate contacts, check the existence of the record before adding through a search at the top line of the Contacts app.

2.Import of contacts with SIM-card or other phone

If you switched to Xiaomi from another smartphone (such as Samsung or iPhone), you can transfer contacts in several ways, the most reliable is through a Google account or vCard file (.vcf). SIM-card, which is fraught with data loss if it is damaged.

To import contacts with SIM:

1. Put it in. SIM-map.
2. Open Contacts. → ⚙ Settings → Import/Export of contacts → Import with SIM-map.
3. Select an account to save (we recommend Google or Mi Account).
4. Tick the necessary contacts or click Select all.
5. Confirm the import with the OK button.

For porting from the iPhone:

• 🍎 On iPhone, export your contacts to iCloud → Contacts → ⚙ → Exports vCard.
• 📧 Send the.vcf file to the mail or upload to Google Contacts via the web version.
• 🤖 On Xiaomi, open contacts → ⚙ → Imports/Exports → Import from the file and select the resulting.vcf.

Through a Google account|With help. SIM-map|Exporting vCard files|I use apps like Shareit.|Another way.-->

⚠️ Note: When importing with SIM-Contact names can be cut to 15 characters and special characters (such as dashes or apostrophes) can be replaced with accents. SIM.

3. synchronize contacts with Google and Mi Account

To avoid losing numbers when you drop your phone or buy a new device, set up automatic sync with cloud services. Xiaomi supports two main options: Google Contacts and MI Cloud (Xiaomi Cloud).

To enable synchronization with Google:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Select your Gmail account.
3. Activate the switch opposite Contact.
4. Press Sync (or wait for automatic sync).

For Mi Account:

1. Open the Settings. → Mi Account (or Xiaomi Account).
2. Make sure you are authorized.
3. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account → Contact Sync.
4. Turn on the option and wait for the process to be completed.

4. Export and backup of contacts

Backup contacts will save your numbers if your phone is stolen, broken or accidentally deleted. MIUI has built-in export tools, but they're hidden in the back of the menu. Let's look at two reliable ways: vCard and Google Contacts.

Method 1: Export to.vcf (for manual reserve):

1. Open Contacts. → ⚙ Settings → Import/Export of contacts → Export to file.
2. Select the account from which you want to export your contacts (e.g. Google or Device).
3. Click Export and save the file in your phone memory or on SD-map.
4. Copy the file to your computer or to the cloud (e.g. Google Drive or Yandex Drive).

Method 2: Automatic reservations via Google Contacts:

• 🌐 Open the website contacts.google.com on your computer.
• 🔄 On the left menu, select Export.
• 📁 Specify the format of Google CSV or vCard and press Export.
• 💾 Save the file to a hard disk or cloud.

⚠️ Note:.vcf files are not encrypted – if you store them in the cloud (for example, on Mail.ru or Yandex.Disk), make sure that the folder is not accessible via a public link.

5. Features of working with contacts on two SIM-card

Many Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro) POCO F4) two-way SIM-In this case, when maintaining contact, it is important to indicate which SIM It's tied, it affects outgoing calls. SIM By default, the phone will ask her every time she calls.

To set up the link of contacts to the SIM:

1. Open the contact for editing.
2. Click on the phone number. → Choose additional or more (⋮).
3. In the field SIM-point out SIM 1 SIM 2.
4. Save the changes.

You can also set the default SIM for all calls:

• Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → SIM-default card.
• Choose SIM 1 or SIM 2 (or always ask if you want to choose manually).

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If the contact is linked to a particular SIM but it is not on the phone (for example, you took it out), you will not be able to call that number, in which case edit the contact and change the SIM to the available one.

6. Solving Contact Issues on Xiaomi

Xiaomi users often face typical problems: contacts do not appear, duplicate or disappear after the MIUI update.

Problem 1: Contacts are not synced with Google

• 🔍 Check if synchronization is included in Settings → Accounts. → Google → Synchronization of contacts.
• 📶 Make sure your phone is connected to the internet (sync does not work in airplane mode).
• 🔄 Restart the device and wait for automatic synchronization (can take up to 10 minutes).
• 🗑️ If the contacts still don’t appear, delete your Google account and add it again.

Problem 2: Duplicate contacts

Dubbs are produced when imported from multiple sources (e.g. SIM and Google) to combine them:

1. Open Contacts. → ⚙ Settings → Connecting contacts.
2. Click Combine All or select duplicates manually.
3. Confirm the merger.

Problem 3: Contacts are missing after MIUI update

If the numbers disappeared after installing a new version of MIUI, check if the sync settings have reset, often with manual import from a backup (see section 4) or recovery via MI Cloud.

• Go to Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Restore Data.
• Select a backup with contacts (if it was created earlier).
• If you don’t have a backup, try logging into your Mi Account on another device and exporting contacts from there.

7 Additional features: Groups, selected and widgets

The MIUI Contacts app offers useful tools for organizing numbers: groups, favorite contacts, and widgets to the home screen, which make it easier to find frequently used numbers and send mass messages.

How to create a contact group:

1. Open Contacts → Groups → Create a Group
2. Please specify a name (e.g., “work” or “family”).
3. Add participants by ticking the necessary contacts.
4. Save the group.

How to add contact to your favorites:

• Open contact. → press on ⭐ top-right.
• Selected numbers will be displayed in a separate Favorites tab.

Contact widget on the main screen:

• Click and hold the empty space on the home screen → Widgets.
• Find the Contact widget (usually 2×2 or 4×1).
• Drag it to the screen and select contacts for quick access.

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To quickly call your favorite contact, add it to the widget and set up the double-touch gesture on the icon (in some MIUI firmware, this is available in the widget settings).

FAQ: Frequent questions about contacts on Xiaomi